Pour Crever by Trimpin

In 1940 all the Jewish residents of Efringen-Kirchen in Southern Germany were deported to Gurs, France, from which they were sent on to Auschwitz. German-American artist Trimpin has created a new work titled Pour Crever to commemorate the 75th anniversary of these tragic events. Trimpin has a renowned permanent work at the EMP museum in Seattle, and has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet and the late American composer Conlon Nancarrow.

Trimpin is a MacArthur “genius” award-winning sculptor who has lived in Seattle for decades. His work — unusually accessible for general audiences — usually involves sound installations triggered by computer controls. In this work a tank of water at fourteen feet is suspended over an identical tank of water. A special mechanism developed by the artist releases drops of water in the shape of letters of the alphabet. For this work, the water drops will spell out the last names of the deported residents of his region; they fall through space and then disappear forever into the second tank of water. The title is a quote from the great Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt, who, when asked why she was sent to Gurs, responded that she was sent to Gurs “to suffer and die miserably (pour crever).”

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.